1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a plasma display device having an improved structure capable of minimizing impurities dispersion into a flexible printed circuit of a plasma display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a plasma display device is a flat display device capable of displaying images using gas discharge phenomenon, thereby providing superior display properties such as high brightness and contrast, lack of residual image, wide viewing angles, and a thin display structure. The conventional plasma display device may include a plasma display panel (PDP), a chassis base affixed to the PDP for support, and a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) mounted on the chassis base and electrically connected to the PDP.
The conventional PDP may include two glass substrates with a discharging space and a plurality of phosphors therebetween. A predetermined amount of electricity may be applied to the PDP to generate plasma through gas discharge and, thereby, to emit vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) rays. The VUV rays may excite the phosphors between the substrates to emit visible light, i.e., red (R), green (G), or blue (B) light obtained by stabilizing the excited phosphors, to form images.
The conventional chassis base may be made of metal to supply mechanical rigidity to the PDP, e.g., may prevent any damage to the glass substrates of the PDP due to external impact. A front surface of the chassis base may be affixed to the PDP via a double sided tape, and the PCBs may be mounted on a rear surface of the chassis base via coupling of screws and bosses, i.e., a plurality of bosses may be formed on the rear surface of the chassis base, so the PCBs may be mounted thereon and secured thereto via screws.
The conventional PCBs may drive the PDP. Specifically, the PCBs may include a sustain board for controlling a plurality of sustain electrodes, a scan board for controlling a plurality of scan electrodes, and a horizontally disposed address buffer board for controlling a plurality of address electrodes. Additionally, the PCBs may include an image processing/control board to receive external image signals and generate control signals for driving the address, sustain and scan electrodes. The PCBs may also include a power board for power supply.
Each board of the conventional PCB may be connected to a plurality of respective electrodes, i.e., the address buffer board may be connected to the address electrodes through flexible printed circuits (FPCs) and connectors. The FPC connecting the address buffer board to the address electrodes may form a driver integrated circuit (IC) package, e.g., a tape carrier package (TCP), for generating an address pulse to be applied to the address electrodes. The driver IC package connecting the address buffer board to the address electrodes may be disposed horizontally along lower edges of the plasma display device in a bent form, so that one end of the driver IC package may be in communication with the PDP and another end of the driver IC package may be bent over the chassis base to be in communication with the address buffer board. The driver IC package may include two adhesive films and a metal circuit pattern therebetween for applying voltage/current between the circuit boards and the electrodes of the PDP.
However, the horizontal structure of the address buffer board along a lower part of the chassis base and apart therefrom may provide formation of the driver IC at a bottom of the plasma display device. In other words, the driver IC may be positioned to connect between lower horizontal edges of the address buffer board, chassis base, and PDP, so that a space may be formed therebetween. Accordingly, impurities dispersed from each board mounted on the chassis base due to the vibration of circuit elements may drop onto the driver IC package, thereby causing contamination and defects. Accordingly, there exists a need for a plasma display device structure capable of minimizing driver IC package contamination due to impurities dispersion.